Feb. 15, 2008

Box Score

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Lisa Norris was nearly perfect Friday morning as she led the Tar Heels to a 3-0 no-hitter win over Stetson in the second game of the Cox Communications Classic in Gainesville, Fla. Norris also drove in all three runs as she hit a towering three-run home run to dead center field in the late innings. The Tar Heels will return to action on Saturday when they take on College of Charleston (9 a.m.) and No. 10 Florida (1:15 p.m.).

From the first pitch the Tar Heels and the Hatters were in a pitcher's duel as a Danielle Spaulding double was the only hit through the first four innings. Norris had just one slip up in the game as she walked the third batter she faced but did not allow a runner the rest of the way and racked up 12 strikeouts in the process.

The no-hitter was in jeopardy in the second inning when a ball was drilled to the right center field gap but Anna Roberts was there to cut it off with an amazing diving catch to keep the no-hitter in tact.

Carolina finally got to Stetson's Amanda Lindsey in the bottom of the fifth after four scoreless innings. Spaulding tallied her second hit of the game with a shot back up the middle and later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Whitney Allen. Brittany McKinney worked a walk to put a pair of runners on for Norris. The Snellville, Ga. native sent the first pitch she saw to dead center as the bomb easily cleared the 220 center field fence.

Norris would continue to cruise from that point forcing a strikeout, ground out and a fly out in the sixth and then finished the game with a bang as she struck out the final two batters she faced. The no-hitter was the first for the Tar Heels since Crystal Cox no-hit Connecticut on March 17, 2006.

Carolina will put its best start since the 2000 squad went 10-0 on the line on Saturday when the Tar Heels take on College of Charleston at 9 a.m. and the host No. 10 Florida Gators at 1:15 p.m.